Fushigi Yuugi: Hoshi no Byakko
by CaiStonetcher
Summary: This is the tale of the young lady from another world who descended upon the country of Sairou to become the legendary Byakko no Miko. With the aid of the seven stars sworn to protect her, she would summon the sacred beast god and protect the West for al
1. Prolouge

_Prologue_

_Four creatures sat in a large room lit by a few candles; one besides each animal at the four cardinal points of the compass. A large black tortoise stood sentinel; unmoving, a green snake twining around and around it at the Northern point. A dragon blue as the depths of the seas slithered and rolled at the Eastern set, like the snake nearby imbued with a greater sense of grace. A stunning fiery red bird; a phoenix, hovered to the South. When it adjusted its wings, flames seemed to rustle and crackle behind them. And finally, to the West, a tiger, its fur white as the purest snow and its stripes like the darkest night prowled restlessly in circles. _

_**It does no good to be impatient. **The tortoise spoke, shifting position slightly to focus its attention on the restless tiger. _

_**And what does that mean?** The feline demanded, halting to glare at the calm creature to the North with icy blue eyes. **By mortal time, it has been a hundred and ten years since your Priestess came and went! Unbalance will be created!**_

_**But, **the dragon added, **Remember that in their world, it has only been eight years. **_

_**Time runs true in the world of our warriors. **The fiery phoenix spoke up. **And as there is not yet a designated cycle—**_

_**Silence!** The tortoise cried out, small eyes focused in anger at the creature across from it._

_**And why should there be silence!? **The tiger roared, at the end of its patience. **You have no more need! Your country is safe, protected by Genbu no Miko, while mine stands at the brink of civil war and chaos!**_

_**Byakko… **the tortoise began threatingly. But the tiger cut it off with a deafining roar. It then turned around and began to leave, stopping after a few steps and turning its head to adress the other three. _

_**I call my chosen now. **It said, before proceedig to stalk out of the room. _

_**Fushigi Yuugi:**_

**Hoshi no Byakko**


	2. The Door Opens

The Door Opens

An old-fashioned bell sounded, announcing the end of another school day. Suzuno Oosugi stood up from her desk and quietly began packing books into her brown school bag. She brushed back a long blond braid from in front of her face and walked out the door. Because she was staring down at her hands, she missed seeing the foot that had been casually stuck out before her. It all seemed to happen at once. One moment, she'd been standing, the next found the pale young girl on the ground. Someone tugged hard on one of Suzuno's braids, forcing her to look at three girls standing clustered around her.

"Ooops, so sorry, Oosugi-san," the leader of the group said, brushing back her short black hair, done precisely in the latest style. "I really do need to watch where I stick my feet, don't I?" Suzuno said nothing; she just stared hard at the floor with clear blue eyes. _They'll go away eventually… _she thought. The girls around her had ceased to laugh abruptly. What had made them stop? _A teacher, maybe? _Suzuno thought, scanning the hallway for adults. But it was deserted; almost all the girls had gone home.

"Didn't your mothers ever teach you not to pick on others?" An all-too familiar voice drawled. From around the corner came Suzuno's best friend, Taiyu Honda, obviously trying not to look angry at the treatment of the shy girl she had taken under her wing.

"Aren't you a little late for etiquette classes, Honda?" Suzuno's tormentor asked the new girl mockingly. Taiyu rolled her eyes. She was well known for her boyish manner, having even worn pants once to school.

"Don't give me any of that, Miyuki. At least I have any reputation to be spoken of." The other girl gasped, indignant.

"Come on, Suzuno, let's go." Suzuno stood up and silently followed her friend.

"You really didn't have to do that, Taiyu-Chan," Suzuno said quietly as the two girls walked through the streets of Tokyo to reach Suzuno's home.

"Nonsense," the older girl said, used to the entire scenario. "They were picking on you, and if I hadn't showed up, they'dve kept you there all night. Suzuno said nothing, but she knew her friend was right. "However," Taiyu continued. "On a lighter note, Happy 16th Birthday, Suzuno!" She proudly held out the package, which, by the look of it, had been wrapped by Taiyu herself. Suzuno smiled. She could always count on her best friend to make her days brighter.

"Thank you" she said happily. The rest of the walk was spent guessing what the present might be, a funner game for Suzuno than Taiyu, considering the older of the two always managed to let slip to the younger. Suzuno just played along.

The Oosugi household reached, Suzuno knocked on the door. After a few moments in the crisp November air, Taiyu rolled her eyes. "I'm freezing," She said, then proceding to bang on the door in a most unladylike manner. It was opened at last by Mrs.Oosugi, a delicate woman with deep black hair, neatly pinned up as always, and shining blue eyes, the only feature she had common with the rest of her family.

"Oh, Suzuno, Taiyu, please come in, you'll catch colds," She said, ushering them hurriedly through the door and shutting it briskly.

"Suzuuuuuuno!" From around the corner came the youngest member of the family, eight-year-old Mayura. In looks, the two Oosugi girls could have been twins. They even wore their hair in the same style. However, Mayura was a much more bubbly and outgoing sort, compared to her elder sisters' shyness. "Daddy wanted to see you," Suzuno nodded and padded towards the study. Opening the door quietly, she saw the back of her father's head over his chair. Somehow figuring that his daughter had entered the room, he turned around and traversed the room to envelop her in a tight hug.

"Happy Birthday, Suzuno!" He cried. Suzuno smiled, not only because of the hug, but also the book shaped package sitting on the desk, wrapped up in brown paper. Her father knew how much the girl liked to read, she had picked it up from him. Suzuno's smle turned to an expression of shock as a white light appeared to emit from the book. And in the center. _A…tiger…? _The vision vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. "Suzuno?" Mr. Oosugi asked, pulling out of the hug but keeping a tight grip on his daughters' shoulders. "Is some thing wrong?"

"N-no," she replied shakily, rubbing her eyes. "I just thought I saw something, that's all." A worried expression flickered across Mr. Oosugi's face, but quickly vanished as he led Suzuno out the door of the study.

The celebration was quiet, but lasted well into the night. When things had calmed down, Mr. Oosugi drew his daughter aside and held up the package Suzuno had seen in the study.

"This," he began. "Is a very special story, written by a dear friend of mine. It's a tale of adventure and peril, of romance and discovering who you are. This is the tale of Takiko Okuda, _The Universe of the For Gods_." Suzuno took the book, breathless.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered, before running up to her room. As he watched his daughter leave, Takao Oosugi sighed. _Takiko…_ he thought sadly. _Please… don't let it happen to Suzuno, too…_

A small calico cat sitting on a pale blue comforter mewed when Suzuno gently removed him from his resting place to read on the bed. But he didn't truly mind, at least he was going on the girl's lap. Suzuno smiled as she stroked her cat; Hoshi. She sighed contentedly. Books and cats were her two favorite things in the world. "This one looks interesting," said girl to cat. Hoshi replied with a small lick that made Suzuno giggle. Opening the book, she read aloud.

'_Herin lies the tale of a young lady chosen by the Beast God Byakko to summon him forth with the aid of the Seven Stars and protect the country of the West for all time. And if you, the esteemed reader, should follow to the story's end, then the power of the young lady will be bestowed upon you, and all your wishes will be granted.'_

Even though Suzuno knew it was only a story, the last sentence sent a shiver down her spine. _All my wishes? _ At last, Suzuno shook her head and turned the page. A bright white light erupted forth, enveloping Suzuno and Hoshi.

When Suzuno woke, she found that it was strangely hot… Gripping the sand, she stood up. _Wait._ she thought, puzzled. _Sand??_ Looking around, she saw nothing but a vast desert surrounding her on all sides. _Where am I??_

Ha ha!! Cliffhanger! Well, welcome to Hoshi no Byakko! (yes, Hoshi is her cat's name too) Wow, though! This is a lot better than my draft, it wasn't as smooth. I changed up Chapter Three a lot (you'll just have to wait and see how!) () But that really affects the plot, so () I'm trying though!

Next Chapter: Flowering Star!

(ha ha, guess who…)


	3. Flowering Star

Flowering Star

Suzuno surveyed her surroundings again. _Well, I might as well start walking… _ Picking up Hoshi, she began to trudge through the sand in the direction she was facing. As she walked, worries cluttered themselves in her head. _What if I'm walking I the wrong direction? What if a scorpion bites me? I could die of dehydration, or heat stroke, or…_ Suzuno finally dropped. She had no idea how long she had been going, or how far she had gone. Hoshi licked her face in concern. Then, everything around Suzuno faded into blackness except for herself, and a large white tiger with piercing, icy blue eyes.

**Sit. ** Ordered a deep voice, strong and powerful. Suzuno sat up like she would eat, on her knees with her hands in her lap. **Look here, girl. **The voice commanded again. Blue eyes met blue, and Suzuno trembled. _I want to look away, but I can't… _The tiger padded around her several times, as if inspecting something. While it walked, Suzuno thought. _I suppose it must be him talking, but who is he? And who has ever heard of a talking tiger? Maybe I'm hallucinating?? _The tiger had finally returned to its original position. **You will do. **It said firmly. Before Suzuno could say anything in reply, the tiger suddenly roared and lunged at the girl, running one paw down her chest. Suzuno hit the ground; unconscious.

Hoshi hissed in anger at the tiger, but it only looked at the small cat and replied; **be silent, little one, your mistress has important work to do.** With a last roar, the tiger vanished, and all in the nearby city swore that they saw; for a brief second, a white tiger bounding into the woods. One young man in particular noticed this. _She's here, _he thought, a slight blush going across his dark cheeks. _The girl I dreamt about, really here now…_ He pushed back some dark brown hair (which only fell right back in his face again) and set off down the street.

Suzuno awoke for the second time, much more fazed. Picking Hoshi up again, she dazedly wandered forward. Memory returned in a rush. _The tiger! _She thought her hand flying to where it had struck her. But there was no blood or tears in her clothing. Puzzled, she looked up. _Where did he…go? _Her confusion turned to elation when she saw an archway of reddish stone bordered with peeling gold paint. _A city! _Suzuno thought, smiling.

Walking through the crowd, Suzuno looked around. _I wonder if I can find out where I am…_ Too absorbed in her thoughts and the foreign scenery, Suzuno only caught a glimpse of Hoshi disappearing into the city. "Hoshi!" Suzuno cried, taking off after her cat, running until she hit something and fell flat on her bottom. The something she had hit, it turned out, was a young man who looked to be a few years older than Suzuno. His dark brown hair was pulled back in a rather long ponytail, but a lot of his hair still managed to fall into his eyes, giving him a very mysterious look. But his chocolate-brown eyes were kind; Suzuno found herself attracted to this stranger's friendly look.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Suzuno spluttered out, blushing and feeling very awkward and foolish. The young man smiled.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, smiling. "I'm usually the one in that position, so I know how it feels," Suzuno looked at this man some more. His skin was fairly dark, and his clothing looked something like what one might find in India or some other desert country. The stranger paused for a moment, thinking. "Is this your cat?" He asked, to Suzuno's surprise, holding out Hoshi, who looked like he was enjoying himself and doing just fine.

"Y-yes," Suzuno said quietly. The man smiled and offered his hand. It took Suzuno a moment to figure out what he meant; the she accepted it and was gently pulled to her feet. Blushing slightly at the realization that she had been holding the hand of a man she had never met in her life, she then took Hoshi and clung to him.

"You look lost," Hoshi's rescuer said tentatively. "Are you foreign, or…?" Since Suzuno had no idea what the 'or' was meant as, she replied.

"Y-yes, I'm from Tokyo," He stared at her like the girl had just named some other planet.

"Tow-kee-yo?" He asked, obviously confused. "I've never heard of that country before," he thought for a moment. "Is that a satellite country of Kutou, maybe?" _Kutou? _Suzuno thought. _I've never heard of that country before… _

"Erm…Mister…uh…"

"Tatara," he replied firmly. "You can call me Tatara, Miss…"

"S-Suzuno. Suzuno Oosugi." Tatara thought a little more. _It's nice to know his name now, at least. He seems very nice, too. But it's a little scary… I feel attracted to him…_

"Suzuno-san," Tatara said abruptly. "When you arrived here, did you see any sort of light? Or a tiger? Both would have been white,"

"Err…" Suzuno thought for a moment. _How does he know about the tiger?? Is there a connection??_ "D-do you know the tiger?" Suzuno asked, her voice almost a whisper. As much as she wanted to sound confident, the feeling escaped her.

"Not personally," Tatara said, looking up at the sky and sheilding his eyes from the sun with a hand. "I would guess it was Byakko, the country's Guardian God…" he started walking, and Suzuno hurriedly trotted up to him. "This is confusing," Tatara muttered as they wound through various streets and plazas. "Even if she's from another country, she still would know who Byakko was, wouldn't she? I mean, all the countries have a God, even all the territories and whatnot… But there is a possibility, though it's so unlikely… she could just be some rich girl from another city, but she certainly doesn't act like any I've ever met… oh well, don't judge a book by its cover.."

_What is he talking about? _Suzuno wondered as Tatara continued to ramble. _Is he even talking to me? And what on Earth is he talking about?? I'm not rich… Is Byakko the tiger I saw? I'm so confused… _ Suzuno looked up at the blue sky. _Daddy…Taiyu-Chan…when am I going to see you again?? _"Tatara-san?" Suzuno asked, looking to her side. But Tatara wasn't there. Panic swelled up in the girl's chest as she realized that she had stopped walking a while ago. _I'm completely lost! _She thought. "Tatara-san!!" she called as loud as she could. Someone put a hand on her shoulder. Suzuno turned around, expecting Tatara. But instead, she came face to face with another man with golden eyes.

"Did you mention the name Tatara?" he asked quietly. Suzuno nodded slowly.

Mwahahaha!! Cliffhanger…(again. I just looked at the last chapter's AC, I said the same thing. I like keeping people in suspense, not being in it!) even though it's really obvious who "Mystery Man" is… cough cough TOKAKI! cough cough Anyways… once again, a much better chappy than the draft. The draft only went for three chappies, so I'm baisically making this up as I go. I've got all the Seishi planned out, of course, the idea's been on me for about a year. So I'm finally writing it up!! See you in chapter three! It's really just a filler,tho… Suzuno accepting her quest and setting off with her two Seishi, off to find the third…

Next Chapter: A Quest Accepted!


End file.
